Firemouth Pair

[KTran]

I recently bought a pair of firemouths from the lfs. They looked like a pair becaues they were both defending an area in the tank and would chase away any other firemouths that swam by. Both fish are at least 6cm long and I am sure that I have a male and a female.

The male tends to chase the female around a lot - but doesn't cause any fin damage. Instead of swimming away for her dear life, sometimes the female will face the male and start flaring, followed by a wriggling of her body (like a snake). The male stops and watches the female while she does all this and then chases her away. Is this behaviour typical of a pair? I hav put a clear divider in the tank so that the female isnt being chased all the time. If they are a pair, when should I release the female?

 

[vancouver]

That sounds like normal breeding/territorial behavior... You should leave them both together if you want them to breed... Do a water change with cooler water, as that might enduce spawning.. Just give the female places to hide if she is being constantly harassed.